Compromised Agent Reassessment Exam
by Rain Seaker
Summary: Clint Barton had been compromised and that is not something S.H.I.E.L.D. can just let go. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I do not on the Avengers or any of the characters in this story. I'm just having a little fun.

* * *

Natasha finds him at the shooting range, it had been modified years ago to allow him to practice his best weapon more efficiently.

People that had only ever used guns would never know the true skill that it took to kill with a bow and arrow. Pressing a trigger with a single finger would never have the same physical impact that using your whole body to pull back that string would. To get a killing shot with an arrow you had to know a lot more about math and trajectories, you had to calculate the exact amount of force your body would have to give to make the shot and then you had to release to arrow knowing exactly where it would go and what it would do. It gave more weight to killing a person than just shooting someone with a gun would, and Clint should know he's killed with both.

Clint has always prized his vision as one of his best traits. The ability he has to never let anything escape his sight, to see everything , and never forget. It is this very ability though that has caused him to seek out the practice range for some stress relief. It is also the reason the Natasha has followed him.

"It's been two weeks, Clint." Natasha says softly between the releasing of one arrow and the draw of another.

Clint says nothing back. The arrow that he has just loosened hits the moving target of a characterized terrorist in the head. The _thunk_ noise it makes when it hits is satisfying though.

"You can't keep blaming yourself. Loki, is being tormented on Asgard already. Banner has taken up residence in Stark tower, or maybe Tony is just keeping him too busy to notice that he isn't in the middle of nowhere. Even Steve is starting to get used to the new world, helping clean up the city and making the rest of us look bad." Another _thunk_ is heard and Clint still says nothing. Natasha sighs. "Clint, I am here. If you want to..."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has requested a C.A.R.E. I think I'm starting to get a little sick of all of their acronyms." Clint says mostly to keep Natasha from saying anything else. Though, the almost silent gasp doesn't make him feel any better.

"Clint, that's not.."

"No, it makes sense. I can see the look in people's eyes as I pass by them in the hallway. They move out of the way real quick now, not that they didn't before, but now it's for a different reason." _Thunk_.

"Fury shouldn't have asked you for that." The _not yet_ is silently added to the end of that statement, because it is procedure that any compromised agent take the exam, but it is still only a few weeks after the event that put them here. When Clint doesn't answer Natasha knows the reason. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow." _Thunk_.

"Want to spar?" Natasha asks quickly because they know each to well for her to ask anything else.

* * *

Bruce is tired, but he's also having the most fun he's had in awhile. He knows that Tony trying to make him forget his plan to escape to someplace no one can touch him. Bruce hasn't forgotten or been distracted, but he has been having fun in the labs and after saving the world he is allowed to be selfish for awhile.

Even though he is tired and caught up in some interesting data about gamma radiation that Stark managed to pull from some old vaults his father had, he does notice when Natasha walks into his lab. He also notices that she has a sort of lost look on her face. Maybe no one else would be able to tell, but if you had spent as much time as Bruce had trying to understand and control your emotions you too would be able to tell what someone else is trying to hide.

"Hey, what is going on?" Bruce asks while pushing away a stack of papers.

"Nothing, just want to see if the old green monster is having fun." Natasha says as she sits atop one of the many tables covered in papers that Tony has provided.

"I'm having a blast, though I'm not too sure the other guy is enjoying this any. I'm surprised your still around though. Don't you have more spy missions to scurry off to?" Bruce asks.

"Fractured rib. It will take some time to heal and I'm forbidden field work until it is." Natasha says while picking up a piece of paper detailing the fuel Tony uses to run his factories.

"Ah, I see. Then what about Agent Barton, is he on leave as well?" Bruce was a little confused as to why Natasha was bothering him and not the other man. He knows instantly this is why she has come to him. The almost imperceptible tensing of muscles and the tightness around her mouth gives away the lie she is about to tell.

"Clint, is away on a mission." Natasha says still not looking at Bruce. Bruce sighs, takes off his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose.

* * *

"Agent Barton, please have a seat. We're about to get started. If you could please answer all questions directly without hesitation and this will all be over rather quickly."

"Of course, sir. Where would you like me to put my hands?"

"On the table in front of you will be fine. We will also be binding you to the chair for the remainder of this part of the exam."

* * *

"And how long will he be on this mission?"

"A week."

"The purpose of this mission?" Bruce can see the second lie coming.

"That's classified."

"Ms. Romanoff, Natasha, my entire existence is classified. I'm fairly certain no one in S.H.I.E.L.D. would care if you told me one of your missions. Even so, if you truly wanted not to tell me then you wouldn't have come here. So, what is Agent Barton really doing?"Natasha stares at him and waits a little before answering.

"He's taking an exam."

* * *

"What's the first thing you remember after the subject compromised you?"

"I can remember everything from the moment that thing took over my actions. Though, the first thing was putting away my gun and waiting for more orders from Loki."

"I... see. What happened after that?"

* * *

"What sort of exam?" Bruce asked again, getting annoyed by her evasions.

"It is procedure for any agent who has been compromised to take the Compromised Agent Reassessment Exam. It reevaluates their status inside S.H.I.E.L.D." Natasha says while still not looking at Bruce. It sets off warning lights inside Bruce's head.

"Reevaluates how?"

* * *

"Thank, Agent Barton, I think that is all for the questions today. These gentlemen will lead you to the infirmary for your physical evaluation."

"Of course, Sir." Clint's voice is more hoarse than it was coming in.

* * *

"It's a test. A week long exam that tests an Agents loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. It is a difficult exam to pass." Natasha says while jumping off the table and pacing around the room.

"Natasha, please, what are you not telling me? Why is it so hard to pass this test? Why does Agent Barton even need to take it?"

"The test is designed to wear down the participant, to question them endlessly about their time away, to look for any discrepancies in the story. To make sure that what they are told is the truth. This can be especially difficult for someone of Clint's skills."

* * *

"Agent Barton, if you could pick up the pace a little."

It is harder to run with the handcuffs on, but Clint hasn't been trained for nothing. It is an even greater test of will power not to pick the handcuffs because ignoring the training is much harder than the running.

* * *

"You mean someone who has been trained to resist interrogation?" Bruce asks almost scared now. He knows why she is so antsy now and it doesn't make him feel any better. Natasha looks at him now and he understands.

"Shit."

* * *

"Agent Barton, if you could sit down we will continue with the questions." The interrogator is different, but there is a certain sliminess that he shares with the other one. Clint nods and sits down, but has to physically restrain himself from hitting the people that cuff his legs to the chair again.

* * *

"The length of the C.A.R.E. is completely dependent on how skilled the taker is a certain things as well as how much they know about our operation." Natasha explains this to the group that now sits in front of her.

Bruce wouldn't let her leave without calling in Tony and Steve to have this discussion. Thor would have been there too if they had any way to contact him.

"This is why Clint's is a weeklong. It is the longest time period the Council could get away with. He is one of the most skilled agents and he knows a lot about the way that S.H.I.E.L.D. works." Natasha finishes her speech to the horrified faces of Steve and Bruce and the contemplative face of Tony.

"I don't suppose we could just break him out and be done with it?" Tony asks while sipping on his drink.

"No, the test is procedure. The best we could do is delay it by a bit. It is not the best course of action though, because Clint wants to be there. Us saving him from a perceived threat would only make him angry and embarrassed."

* * *

The room is cold and loud, but the music that they are playing is his favorite so maybe there is someone out there who cares a little. He shivers against the wall and tries not to let the memories overtake him.

* * *

"That isn't the real problem though. I fear that Clint is only taking this test now because he wants the punishment for his failure and betrayal." Natasha finishes.

"But that was not him correct? Loki was to blame for all of the things that he did." Steve is filled with a righteous fury that seems to be his lifeblood.

"I think he is more punishing himself for failing to avoid being compromised. The 'What ifs?' can drive anyone mad." Natasha says this with the self assurance of someone who knows the feeling.

* * *

"I told you. I never once revealed Natasha Romanoff's true name to anyone except Loki. I was able to pull this off without too much effort by referring to her solely as Black Widow, but I do not know if I was ever overheard by one of the mercenary groups that we hired."

"Agent Barton, it is not that we don't want to believe you, but you were under the influence of some magical power at the time and you say that you never revealed your partners name?"

It is too convenient Clint knows.

"I had minimal influence over my actions, but I was able to prevent myself from revealing too much in front of the people we hired. Just like Selvig built in a backdoor to the portal device."

* * *

"Fury! I can't believe you think that we wouldn't have a problem with this." Steve is yelling at Director Fury with the passion of a commanding officer whose soldier has been taken without approval. "He is one of the few people on earth who saved the planet a couple weeks ago. An achievement you seem to have forgotten."

"Captain Rogers there is nothing I can do about this now. Agent Barton has almost completed the exam and he should be home within the next few days. I would kindly like to remind you that he has been my Agent far longer than he has been yours." After he says these words Steve can finally allow himself to see the slight slump of Fury's shoulders and the bag under his eye. Clint's absence is affecting him as well.

Steve allows himself one more rush of anger as he storms out of the room and slams the door.

* * *

Clint doesn't know what day it is. He thinks it is light outside, but it is hard to tell from the sliver of light that enters his cell and the endless cycle of exercise and questions.

* * *

The way they are gathered in Clint's room is a little awkward, but saving the world together gives you a bond that most people wouldn't understand. Natasha, Bruce, Tony, and Steve all sat in places around the too sparse room. The reality of the situation was harsh enough that even Tony was keeping his usual snide remarks to himself.

They are waiting not so patiently for a man to walk through that door and they are hoping that he is in one piece when he comes in.

* * *

Clint is tired in a way that he has known too many times in his life. The bone weary ache of not enough sleep and too much activity. Most of the time the feeling comes from a hard mission and it has a since of accomplishment weaved throughout, but not today. Today all he can think about is getting into bed and sleeping for a century.

The second he opens the door to his room he has a dagger in his hand. It takes him a second to figure out why and by that time the dagger is already flying through the air at the redhead that is sitting across from the door. He barely has time to sigh in relief when it misses before the redhead is in front of him and patting him on the shoulder.

"Getting slow in your old age there are you?" Natasha says smiling. Looking nothing like a person who just dodged his dagger and all too relieved for his safety.

It was then that Clint noticed the other guys in the room and immediately got embarrassed.

"You guys don't...it was..." Clint paused for a second." Thanks."

"We wanted to make sure that you returned from your mission is full fighting form. I would hate to lose a good friend so soon after meeting him." Steve said with a relaxed smiled. Bruce and Tony nodded as well. "Anyway, we should probably leave you to sleep. You look tired." Steve smiled again and walked out the door. Bruce smiled at Clint and followed Steve out with a pat on the shoulder.

Tony paused. "We should get to shawarma again soon. I'll have Pepper set a date." He waved and then left, leaving Clint with Natasha.

"Are you good yet?" Natasha asked. "Is your ledger cleaned?"

"I'll see you in the morning 'Tasha." Clint said while throwing his bag on the chair and laying on the bed. "Try not to give away any more company secrets, yeah?" Clint smiled at her as she grinned and left. He felt a lot less heavy than he had a week ago. The ledger would never be empty Natasha knew this better than most, but it certainly helped to know that he had people he could count on to help clear it.

* * *

AN: Right. So I watched The Avengers over the weekend and had to write something about it. If you like please review. Thanks for reading guys.

~Rain


End file.
